


A NEW Beginning - Earth, Day 1, Part 2

by letmebelex (Willow_wolfe88)



Series: A NEW Beginning [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Anxiety Attacks, Aromantic Asexual Pidge | Katie Holt, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Gay Keith (Voltron), Gay Shiro (Voltron), LGBTQ Themes, More tags to be added, Multi, Pansexual Matt Holt, Polyamorous Character, Post-Canon Fix-It, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, voltron babies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-08
Updated: 2019-07-01
Packaged: 2019-10-24 05:43:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17698742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Willow_wolfe88/pseuds/letmebelex
Summary: AN ALTERNATE ENDING, AND A CONTINUATION!The war is over, and it's time for the universe to heal.But what does that mean for the Paladins, and those closest to them?This book is from the POV of Shiro, Adam and CurtisRuns parallel to Lance, Keith and Pidge.





	1. Day 1 - Shiro

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Hello! Welcome! Before you jump into reading this, this is actually a spin off from ANEW Beginning - Lance, Keith & Pidge. Although this runs parallel, and can be read completely separate, you might want to read that first!
> 
> For those of you who have come from my other book, you know how stressful these first two chapters have been. I hope you love it, and the characters, as much as I do! Let me know what you think! Lex xx

I finished getting dressed, and ran a comb through my hair.  
“Honey, breakfast is ready!” Curtis calls quietly down the hall, trying not to wake Adam.  
I came out of the bathroom, and walk up behind him. I put my hands on his shoulders, and lean towards him.  
“Morning!” he said, as he turned to give me a kiss.  
“Thanks for cooking while I was in the shower.” I say, standing upright, and walking to my chair, “You’d make such a good husband one day, someone really ought to marry you!” I chuckle.  
“Let’s hope I can find someone stupid enough!” he answers back.

“Do you know how many times in the last 11 months I’ve heard different variations of the same joke?” Lex asks, walking in, and hanging her bag up. “You two are as bad as each other. I can’t wait for these next three weeks to be over, so you can find some new material!” She laughs.

Lex is Adam’s nurse, and has become such an important part of our lives over the last year. I don’t know what we would have done without her.

“How’d he sleep last night?” she asked, a look of concern growing on her face.  
“Not great,” I answer, “He woke up yelling at about 2, and it took me a while to calm him down. Then he was tossing and turning for another few hours. He didn’t hit deep sleep until about 6. It’s all in the book.” I say, pointing to the green notebook on the counter. 

“And he was complaining of sore legs yesterday, so we will have to see how he is when he gets up.” Curtis added

Lex just nodded, and picked up the book. “I hate to do this, seeing as he had such a bad night, but I’ve got to wake him up for his morning meds, and if he was complaining, I better give him a rub down.” she says, walking towards the hall. “He’s got Lance today, so hopefully that will lift his spirits a bit.” 

I nod and smile. Lance has been amazing for Adam. The relationship they have formed is stronger than I could have ever imagined. 

When we first found Adam, Keith and I weren’t able to be there for Adam, emotionally, as much as we should have, but Lance and Ronnie, and even Acxa, really stepped up. Lance visited him everyday, and would just babble at him for hours upon hours, until Adam started talking back, and eventually started opening up to him. Apart from the sleepless nights, and the excruciating pain he often got in his legs, Adam was a new man. Stronger and more determined than I ever knew him to be, and always with such a positive outlook. I was so proud, and felt so humbled by him.

~

We had both finished his breakfast, and Curtis looked up at the clock.  
“Okay Takashi, I’ll give you a hand getting Adam up before I leave” he said, getting up, “His legs were pretty bad yesterday, he might not be able to help much.”  
“Thanks honey,” I say, standing up and following him down the hall. 

While Adam is going great with his rehab, and is able to move around quite well during the day, his legs can become stiff, and lock up over night, so first thing in the mornings can be a difficulty. 

Lex is always trying to remind us that helping Adam out of bed is part of her job, and she's fully capable of doing it, but it’s an important part of my morning routine. I’m not around as much as I would like, and this way I can touch base with Adam, and have the chance to talk to him a bit. And, while Adam is so light, and I can easily lift him by myself, I love the fact that Curtis wants to help as much as he can. My relationship with both of them means so much to me, and I'm so grateful they can get along so well.

We walk into Adam's room, and despite his rough night, he's as cheerful as ever.

“Morning Sunshine, Kashi,” he smiles. Although we are no longer together, he can't drop the habit of calling me by my given name. It doesn't bother Curtis, so we let it be, and honestly, it would sound wrong if he called me anything else. He may not be my partner, but he is family, and he will always be one of the closest people in my life.

“Morning Adam” we both say.

Adam turns to Lex, “Aren't I lucky to have two gorgeous men to help me up every morning?”

She just rolls her eyes, and laughs. She's heard this one before too.

We happily chat as Curtis steps up to his left side, and Adam leans on him as I swing his legs around. Curtis continues to steady him, as I quickly and carefully help him change. Even after the rub down, I can tell that his legs are paining him, his legs tensed, and his toes curled up like they were cramping. I hand him a t-shirt and jacket from the draw, and he puts them on, as I help him with his socks. 

Curtis supports him under his left arm, and I support him on the right, as we help ease him on to his feet.

We carefully walk out to the kitchen, very stiff at first, but easing up the further we walk. We ease him down onto his kitchen stool, as Lex heats up his breakfast.

“You guys going to be okay if I head off to work now?” Curtis asked.  
“I think we’ll manage,” I laugh, grabbing his hand, “but first, come here…”  
I pull him closer, “Have I told you lately how perfect you are?”  
“You could tell me again?” he grinned.  
“I'll see you later at work,” I laugh, and give him a couple of short kisses, ““bye baby…” and then one long one.  
“See you later… love you…” he starts to walk towards the door, “Imma need that hand back though” he laughs, as he tugs it away, “See ya Lex, Ad’s.”

*****

Curtis really was perfect. We had been through so much, and he had not only been there for me, but for Keith and Adam too.

I had seen him around the Garrison before Kerberos. He was a promising student, had been in a couple of the classes I had helped with, and had hung around with Matt now and then.

When we got back, however, I had barely recognized him. He was no longer a kid with promise, but was now a Commanding Officer at the Garrison. We'd bump into each other at meetings, and he was one of the permanent members under my command on the bridge of the Atlas. He was a friendly enough guy, but I wasn’t in the state of mind to pay anyone much attention. We were in the middle of a war, and I was having trouble coping with my issues. I had been captured and tortured by the galra, on multiple occasions; I'd lost my arm, twice; I had been cloned at some point, we still haven't figured out when; I died, got stuck inside limbo in the astral plane, been brought back to life, found out one of my evil clones tried to kill Keith, all of which caused issues with the whole team; battled many evil aliens; lost the only home I'd known for years; and came back to Earth to find out not only had most of civilization been wiped out, and been taken over, but the love of my life had been lost in the battle, before I had any chance to apologize and make everything up to him.

Curtis and Ronnie, and a couple of others tried to make friends, but I just wasn’t interested. I was civil enough with everyone, I joked, I smiled, but when I wasn’t on the job, I felt like breaking down, and didn’t want to deal with people apart from my little family. We had been through so much together, and they were so supportive. I didn’t feel like explaining everything to anyone, and they all had so many questions. I spent a lot of time with them, Keith especially, but then they began going on more and more Voltron missions, and just weren’t around.  
I would retreat into my office, and throw myself into work. I ate lunch by myself, and generally spent time alone, until one day, Curtis decided he’d had enough. He placed his tray down, and sat across from me with purpose.  
“Shiro” he nodded to me.  
“Curtis.” I responded, and went back to eating.  
“I just got bowled over by Kosmo and Bae Bae on my way here,” he continued, “I’m much more of a cat person, what about you?”  
“Uh… yeah… cats?” I replied unsurely.  
“Cats… cool…” he grinned. “I like nothing more to curl up with a good book, a nice coffee, and a cat on my lap.”  
“Sounds perfect.” I reply.  
“You’re a man of few words, Shirogane,” he smiled, and I couldn’t help but smile back. “Do you have a favourite book?”  
“Depends on my mood.” I reply.  
And that's how it started. Curtis seeking me out day after day. Him barraging me with questions, and me replying, shortly at first, but soon we were having deep and meaning conversations. The most important thing to me, though, was that he didn't ask me questions about what I'd been through. He never pushed me. He didn't bring up Voltron, or Adam, or even the war we were currently in. He just wanted to know about ME. And I found myself wanting to know about him.

One day though, the rest of Voltron were out on a scouting mission, and they were attacked. We lost contact with them, and, although I maintained composure, I was internally falling apart. I hated not being with them when they were in danger.  
Once we found out they were safe, I excused myself, and went to my quarters.  
I didn't realise Curtis had followed me, and he found me curled up on my floor, gasping for breath. He sat down beside me, and pulled me up on to his lap. I curled myself into his chest, and began sobbing, harder than I had before, feeling a sudden release. He rocked me, stroking my hair, and whispered, over and over again, “It's going to be okay, Takashi, it's all going to be okay.”  
He held me until my breathing calmed, and the tears stopped.  
“Sorry. I'm sorry!” I apologized, pushing myself away, and off his lap.  
“Takashi,” he said, reaching out to grab my arm, “If I didn't want to be here, I wouldn’t have followed you. I wouldn't have opened that door, and I wouldn't have picked you up off the floor. I had so many chances to leave. But I didn't. I want to be here with you, Takashi. When are you going to see that?”

I looked into his eyes, and saw nothing but openness, caring and compassion.  
“I… want you here…” I admitted.  
“Good,” he said, “Now come on over here,” he patted beside him, “and maybe we can help you get some of whatever is on your mind, off. I can tell you need to talk, holding it in isn’t doing you any good.”  
I moved over, and sat next to him, and we talked. We talked for hours and hours, he told me about his issues, and I told him about mine. I didn’t know the last time I had ever talked that much. I didn’t open up about half this stuff to Keith, and I never had the need to with Adam. By the time the morning came, I felt bare, and open, and vulnerable. But I’d also never felt safer.

Curtis just slipped into my life from there on out. We saw each other secretly for months. We spent as much time as we could together. He was there for every high, every loss, and every mental breakdown, and I had a lot. After the war ended, everything caught up to me. I had already been a mess, but with more free time to think, I began having night terrors, and even more breakdowns. The doctors told me to step back, but I needed work in my life. Curtis supported me through everything, and became my rock.  
I was finally finding happiness after all these years, and when we eventually arrived back on Earth, we let everyone know we were dating. Everyone was happy for us, and we departed back into space, intending to do a lot more travelling, under a lot more happy circumstances. 

Not 4 months later, however, I received an email that would change our life forever. And, thankfully, I had Curtis by my side to help me through.


	2. Chapter 2 - Life Bomb Incoming in… 4… 3… 2… 1… (Third person POV)

To: Takashi Shirogane

From: Veronica McClain

Shiro,

We’ve been processing the prisoners of war, and have found something that may be of interest to you. Get here as soon as you can. It’s URGENT, and confidential, no Garrison goonies!

V.

~

 

Shiro heard a sudden and deafening ring in his ears, as he sunk to the ground.  
He could sense movement all around him, as people rushed to his side, but he could no longer hear them.   
He stared into space as Curtis appeared before him. He could see that Curtis was scared. He seemed to be yelling, and was he shaking him? Yes, he was definitely being shaken. He wanted to reach out to Curtis, he wanted to curl up in to him, and talk to him. But he couldn’t. All he could do was stare it him, blinking, trying to figure out what he was yelling.

 

~

Curtis had heard the intake of breath, and was by Shiro’s side seconds after he hit the floor.  
People were surrounding him, and he pushed them all back. “Takashi? Takashi, what’s wrong?” he asked. He got no response.

“Everyone move back!” he yelled. He loosened Shiro’s tie, and undid his top buttons, all the while talking to him. “Takashi, baby, you’ve got to tell me!” he pleaded. Shaking him gently, as he continued to stare into space. This is one of the worst attacks Curtis had seen him have. He wasn’t shaking, or crying, he was just sitting there. This scared Curtis more.

“What triggered him?” he asked to the room in general  
He hadn’t noticed, but by now, Iverson had cleared the bridge, and they were alone.

“He,” coughed Iverson gruffly, “He was doing something on the computer before he fell.” he nodded towards Shiro’s desk just behind them.

Curtis stood slowly, eyeing Shiro as he stood, waiting for some kind of reaction from him. Waiting for him to try to stop Curtis from looking. But there was nothing.

He read over the email several times, and he still couldn’t understand why the contents would have caused this sort of reaction.

He knelt down beside Shiro again. His eyes were less glazed over, and he had began to shake. He seemed to be slowly coming out of the initial shock, but he still wouldn’t respond to his voice or his touch.

Curtis didn’t understand what was going on, or what he could do for him, but he knew someone who would, so he made the call.

“Keith?” Curtis asked, tentatively, “Somethings happened to Shiro…” he started.

“Oh my god! Is he okay?” Curtis could hear the panic through the phone.

“He’s had some kind of panic attack,” Curtis began crying, “And I can’t pull him out of it this time!”

“Can you get him on the phone?” Keith asks.

“I can try?” Curtis sniffles. “Shiro, honey, Keiths on the phone, do you think you can talk to him?”  
Shiro slowly focused on Curtis, and took the phone.

“H… hello?” Shiro asked weakly. “Keith?”

“What’s going on? Curtis says you had some kind of breakdown? Is everything okay?”

“I… I got an email…” Shiro stuttered. “From Veronica…”

“Okay?” there was a pause, “What did it say?”

“A… a prisoner of war has been found…” he says. “A prisoner of war?” he repeated questioningly. “Do you think it may be him? They never found a body…”

“I don’t know, Shiro. The chances are pretty slim.”

“You’ve got to find out for me Keith!” he began sobbing desperately, “It’s him, I know it… And I can’t be back for months!”

The phone drops, and the quiet whispers of “Hush, Takashi, we’ll work it out…” can be heard.  
Shiro cries, “Find him, Keith!” as the call is disconnected.

~

They left the Atlas the next morning, when Shiro had been deemed safe to travel, not waiting to hear from Keith.

They took a small group in a transportation ship. It would be a long flight, so they needed a team of capable flyers. Shiro spent a lot of time in his quarters, and when he did come out, he walked around like a zombie. When someone spoke to him, he would drop out halfway through a conversation, staring off into space. He would find himself in places, not remembering how he got there, and find himself in the middle of tasks, that he should really be paying attention to, and not knowing what he was doing, or why.  
They spent a lot of time in Shiro’s bed, Curtis simply spooning him, and running his hands through his hair, occasionally having whispered conversations when he could draw Shiro out enough to talk.

“Curtis?” Shiro whispered on the third day.

“Yes Takashi?” Curtis replied.

“I’m a mess,” he said. “And if Adam’s alive, I don’t know what that will mean…” he said, rolling over onto his back, “I don’t want to be dragging you along, when I don’t know what is going to happen…”

“Takashi, I’m here for the long haul,” he said, stroking his brow, “You need me, and I need you. And if that means I have to step up, that’s what I’m here for. But if it means I have to step back, and just be a friend, until you figure yourself out, or if you decide to get back with Adam, I can do that too. I love you, and I understand what Adam meant to you. I’m going to be here no matter what.”

~

And he was. Shiro got the call later that day from Keith, confirming that Adam was, in fact, alive, and had been found in a work camp in Australia. Shiro was relieved beyond belief that Adam was alive, but he was also very concerned for his physical and mental health, as Keith had said they weren’t great.

Shiro and Keith made phone calls back and forth every day, Keith giving Shiro updates, and the both of them trying to figure out what was going to happen to Adam, as he had been left in a pretty bad condition, and was going to need long term care. Keith and Shiro felt weighed down with guilt, and, as Adams family had been lost during the war, they were the only family he had left. They researched hospitals and care facilities, so he could be moved closer to home. Curtis was there, by Shiro’s side, helping him look at the pros and cons of each, researching doctors, and rehabilitation methods. He listened non-stop to Shiro’s thoughts and concerns, and did what he could to take the pressure off.

Shiro fell more in love with Curtis every day. The fact that he would be willing to postpone, or even sacrifice his happiness for something like this had Shiro feeling incredibly guilty, but Curtis kept assuring him that as long as Shiro needed him there, in whatever capacity, he was going to be around.

~

Shiro took hold of Curtis’s hand as they exited on to the runway. He continued to hold it as Keith led the way to the room, and didn’t let go until they reached Adam’s door. He squeezed it, and in that moment he knew, “I love you, more than anyone I’ve ever loved before,” he reassured Curtis, and kissed him on the lips, “These next few days, weeks, or months, might be hard, but I’m always coming back to you.”

Curtis blushed, “Good luck! I’ll be waiting out here. I love you!” and he gave Shiro’s hand one last squeeze before he disappeared through the door.

~

Inside, the room was dimly lit by warm yellow bulbs, instead of the harsh white ones you would normally find in a hospital. Lance was sitting on the end of the bad, chatting away when they walked in. His face lit up as Keith walked towards him. “I missed you!” he said, kissing him on the cheek. Shiro was glad it finally happened, but honestly, that was going to take some getting used to. Lance stood up, and wrapped him up in a big, tight hug. Lance’s hugs had always been the best, and Shiro was very grateful for this one.

Adam just sat there silently, taking Shiro in, watching how the three interacted, waiting for him to look at him, which it seemed like he was avoiding doing.

Shiro took his eyes off the two young Paladins, and finally turned to Adam. They made eye contact for a moment or two, no words being shared, when Shiro broke down crying.

“I’m so sorry Adam!” he cried, throwing himself at Adam, and wrapping him in his arms “I never should have left you, and I should have come back to you way earlier… and we should have done so much more to find you!”

“Hush Takashi, it’s all okay.” he said, wrapping his tiny arms around Shiro, “But what happened to your hair?” he said, sounding appalled. 

Shiro pulled away and chuckled, “Trust you to bring up my hair when you’ve been through so much!”

“When we’ve both been through so much!” Adam replied, running his hand down Shiro’s prosthetic arm. “Now wipe away those tears, and tell me about your hero adventures!”

~

Lance and Keith slipped out of the room, and the two spoke together for hours, filling each other in on what had happened since they had seen each other last, reminiscing about old days, talking about Keith, and how much he had grown.

“Keith tells me you have a new boyfriend Takashi,” Adam smiles, “when do I get to meet him?”

“I… ah… yeah. Yeah, I do.” Shiro says sheepishly, “He’s just outside. I didn’t know if you were ready for that…”

“Takashi, we broke up for a reason. We weren’t going to work. I told you I was unhappy, and I unreasonably asked you to change.” he said, taking Shiro’s hand, “ I shouldn’t have asked that of you, and I’m glad you stuck by your beliefs. We were great, once upon a time, but we were over for a while before you left for Kerberos. I was just too greedy, and too scared to let you go. We’ve been through so much, and I will love you till my last breath, but I fell out of love with you Takashi. A long time ago. I want what’s best for you. I’m happy if you’re happy, and this boy is making you happy, isn’t he?”

A blush came across Shiro’s cheeks, and his eyes lit up, “He really is…” he half whispered.

“Good, now get his butt in here! I have to give him the ‘If you hurt Takashi, the wrath of hell will descend upon you!’ speech!”

~

Curtis and Adam got on great. They had known of each other from around the Garrison, but, working in different departments, never really got the chance to really get to know each other.

Within a few months, Shiro and Curtis had both taken jobs at the Garrison that required little to no travelling, Shiro had bought a house, and, under Curtis’ suggestion, all three of them had moved in together. 

Curtis had been a part of every single step in the process, supporting Shiro, and giving advice and help where he could. While Shiro spent a lot of time with Adam, he had kept busy making alterations to the house, to make it more accessible, interviewing nurses, making a short list for Shiro and Adam to consider, and had been instrumental in the final decision to choose Lex.

Once Adam arrived, he swung straight into doing whatever he could to make the transition as easy as possible. He and Shiro would both work together to help Adam with getting around, getting showered and dressed, taking him to and from appointments, as well as sharing in the household duties, until Shiro nearly burnt the house down, and was banned from the kitchen. 

He really was a gift, and both Adam and Shiro were both so grateful to have him in their lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys like it as much as I do! I've been super stressed about the dynamics of these relationships! Let me know what you think! Lex xx


	3. Day 1 - Curtis

Chapter 3 - Curtis

I walked out the door and headed to the car.  
I put my favourite playlist on and pulled out of the drive. The butterflies from Takashi’s kisses still soaring in my stomach as I merged onto the highway.

 

I drove past my regular exit and headed towards the city. I had an errand to do before I went into work, and only had a limited time to do it in if I was going to beat Takashi to work. 

I had meant to leave the house way earlier this morning, but Takashi had been so stressed lately, so I decided to spoil him with a cooked breakfast. And boy did my man deserve spoiling.

~

Takashi always took so much on. He would do anything to help ease anyone's suffering. He had basically come back to Earth with four children, and a whole mixed bag of a family. Then with everything that had happened with Adam, he felt he had to take responsibility there too. 

He was only 30 years old, and while the group were all there for each other, and would do anything for him, he felt so much more responsible for the young ones, especially Keith and Pidge. 

It wasn't that I resented Adam or any of the others, I loved them all like my own family, I just wished they could all get some peace. They had all been through so much and deserved a chance at a normal life. 

And Takashi deserved a day where he didn’t have to worry about whether Adam was sleeping, or Lance was eating, or how Pidge was going with her parents, or if Keith was managing his anxiety, or if Hunk, Allura, Coran, or anyone else in his very large family, were safe, wherever they were.

He deserved a night of uninterrupted sleep. Even when Adam slept through, Takashi hadn’t had a peaceful night rest since I met him. He was always muttering and moaning and waking up in sweats.

~

I pull into the parking lot in front of the small shop. 

Hidden between the big buildings, you wouldn’t have known it was there if you hadn’t been looking for it. The unique little shop looked both out of place, and out of time. I was thankful to Pidge for helping me find this gem months ago.

“Ah, Curtis! So nice to see you again!” came a friendly voice, as a stunningly tall humanoid alien steps out from behind the counter. She had beautiful skin, in shades of pink, with luscious green vine-like hair that wound its way down past her knees. 

“So lovely to see you as well, Gupil,” I replied bowing my head slightly in a sign of respect.

“I have your order all ready to go, would you like to look before I wrap it up?” she asked, her three forest green eyes blinking, slightly out of sync.

 

“Please!” I reply, excitedly.

She steps through to the back room, and comes back with a large, square box.

“Both with a stone from each of the planets on your list, as requested,” she says, showing me her beautiful workmanship in the box. Two matching bracelets shone up at me. 

Pidge had helped me create a list of all the planets they had visited, and help save, when they were part of the Voltron team. Gupil had painstakingly sourced a stone from each of these planets, encasing each of them in a silver blue metal, to create a beautiful intricate design. 

“Those that were left,” she added with a sad look on her face. She had come from a distant planet who had been totally wiped out during the war. There were few of her species left, and those who had wanted to find a stable home had taken up residence here on Earth. Many species had. It had become a real hub for intergalactic travel and asylum, and it was nothing strange to now see multiple species every time you walked down the street.

“They are amazing Gupil!” I assured her, “Takashi is going to love them!”

“The metal is from the planet Vacillius, and is the strongest pliable metal in the universe, so there is no risk of it being damaged.” She assured me.

“And the inscriptions?” she asked, turning them over in her hands.

I smiled as I checked them over.

*****

Takashi had questioned me for a long time about whether I was sure I wanted to be with him. He was convinced that he didn’t deserve me, that I shouldn’t be burdened, not only with his issues, but Adam, and the rest of his extended family.

I’ll admit, the first few months with Adam were rough. The days were manageable, but the nights where he would wake up screaming were taking its toll on Takashi, and he would refuse to let me help.

I watched as he would get up in the middle of the night, sooth Adam, calm him down, and stay with him until he was back into a deep sleep.

One night we woke up to the most gut-wrenching sound we had heard. Takashi had been sleeping soundly, for once, but, awoken by the sound, he had sat bolt upright in our bed, looking dazed and confused. He placed his head in his hands, and just cried.  
Adam was still screaming down the hall, but I needed to comfort this broken man in my bed.

 

I whispered calmly to him, and stroked his hair until he calmed down.

“I’m going to go see to Adam now,” I said softly.

“No, it’s okay, I’ll go,” he replied, and started getting up.  
“Taki, let me do this!” I said sternly, pushing him back into the bed. “I’ve seen you do it enough, I know what I’m doing. You need to rest!”

“I understand if it’s all too much,” he cried, “you never signed up for any of this!”

I looked lovingly down at him, “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, and again, and again. I love you, and I’m going to be here no matter what. Now try to go back to sleep, Taki, I’ve got this.” I kissed his head and tiptoed out of the room.

I stopped by the bathroom to get a damp towel, and made my way to Adam’s room.  
He was in his bed, thrashing about and yelling in his sleep.  
“It’s okay Adam” I whispered to him, wiping down his brow, “We’re safe, we’re all going to be okay.”  
I spoke to him in soothing tones, as I rubbed his legs, his arms, his brow, giving him contact and a voice to cling to. Slowly he stopped thrashing, and his yelling gave way to small whimpers. He stopped moving enough that I could climb into the bed and hold him, stroking his hair and mopping his brow until he slept peacefully.

I moved to the chair by his bed, and picked up the book Takashi kept on the table. I stayed with him for a while, until he started snoring, and I knew he had finally reached deep sleep.

~

When I got back to our room, Takashi was sitting up in bed, a strange look on his face.  
“You are supposed to be asleep!” I said gently, climbing into bed beside him “What’s the point of both of us being awake?” I lay my head on his shoulder, and stroked his arm. “Lay down, Taki, we need to at least try to get an hour or two more sleep”  
He looked down at me then, a blush coming across his cheek.  
“Cat?” he asked me. I hummed in response. “I know you do so much for me, and I really don’t know what I’ve done to deserve you,” he started.  
“Takashi,” I whispered back.  
“No, let me finish!” he said, motioning for me to be quiet. “I know you do so much for me, but I need to ask you for one more thing.”  
“Anything Takashi, no matter what,” I replied, sitting up to face him, a note of concern in my voice.  
“Cat,” he said, taking my hand, “I don’t know where I would be without you. You’re not only there for me, but there for Adam, and my whole messed up family. You’ve stuck by me, through thick and thin, and I love you, to the ends of the universe and back.”  
He stopped and reached down beside him, pulling out a small navy blue box from under the blanket.  
“Curtis, would you do me the honour of becoming my husband?”  
He opened the box, and I began to cry.  
“Takashi,” I replied softly, “you ask like this is some burden to me? I love you, no matter what, until the end of eternity. It would be my deepest pleasure, and greatest wish to be able to call you mine forever. Of course I will marry you!”

Now it was his turn to cry.

I kissed him softly and sweetly, and pulled him down until he lay curled into my chest.  
“I can’t wait to do this forever,” I said. He hummed in agreement, and leant up to kiss me one more time. He lay his head back on my chest, and we cradled each other until we both fell asleep, calm with the knowledge that both of us had everything we needed. Right there in our arms.

*****

“Perfect!” I replied.

“I also added an extra feature, I hope you don’t mind,” she added, placing a bracelet in my hand, and stepping away from me. “Say your quote!” she prompted.

I hesitated for a minute, staring at her. She nodded for me to continue, so I did.

As I finished speaking, Takashi’s bracelet began to give a gentle glow in the box.

I stood in shocked silence.

“It’s programmed to your quote, and your voice alone,” she smiled at me. “When you return, bring Takashi in, and, we can program your bracelet to respond to his voice.” 

She took the bracelet off me and put it back in the box. “There is no known limit to this technology,” she explained, “So whether you are next to each other, or at work, or one of you have had to run to the store for milk,” she smiled, “even at the end of the universe. You will be able to speak into your bracelet, and the others will glow, and you will know that your heart mate is thinking of you.”

“Thank you so much, Gupil!” I said, tears in my eyes, and I stepped forward.

“Oh!” she let out in a surprised gasp as I swept her up in a big embrace, “Humans do have such a range of emotions,” she said, “You seem to be happy, yet you are crying?” she asked.

“Happy tears, Gupil,” I laughed. “Very happy tears.”

She laughed at me, and returned to the counter. We chatted pleasantly as she wrapped the box.

“Say hello to our friend, Pidge,” she said, handing me the bag, “I have not seen her for a while, I do hope she is doing well on her quest?”

“She is struggling.” I replied, “we are getting to the point where we don’t know whether to support and encourage her, or if it would be better for her health if she gave up.”

“Oh no!” Gupil replied. “You mustn’t allow her to give up! The Olkari have survived, and need her help desperately! I can see it!” she said, pointing to her central eye. “I just wish I could offer more helpful information,” she said, hanging her head. “We can't save my race, but, maybe, we can save theirs.” 

“I’ll give her your well-wishes,” I nodded, “thank you again, Gupil.” I shook her hand and walked towards the door.

“I wish you and your heart mate a future full of happiness and joy. Good fortune upon you, Curtis!”

“And to you and yours,” I said, as I bowed low and disappeared out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally an update!  
> I'm not sure how to add an artwork here, but if you would like to meet Gupil (we don't know much about her yet, but she's going to be sticking around), you should head over to my Tumblr, letmebelex, where I post little sneak peeks, and have character introductions, and you can come chat to me about the story, or anything.  
> Lex x


	4. Day 1 - Adam

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/n: Trigger warning. I'm going to go into Adam's condition in a little more detail, and medical procedures will be discussed (although not in detail) and his time in the prisoner camp will be BRIEFLY mentioned. If you want to skip that, stop reading at the first lot of *****, and start reading again after the second lot of *****  
> Also, would love to hear from anyone that is still reading!

I waved to Curtis as he walked out the door, and turned back to finish my breakfast. Lex was singing to herself as she made Shiro and I coffee, and herself a hot chocolate.

Shiro grabbed a stool, and brought it around the bench to sit across from me. We chatted away happily as I finished my breakfast.

I really loved the mornings where he started a little later. It was good to have my friend back. It was like when we first met at the Garrison, before we let things get in the way. I could almost forget everything that had happened between then and now. 

We chatted about the coming weeks, the wedding, and everyone coming into town.

“I just hope we have room for everyone,” he laughed, “I hope we haven’t forgotten anyone when we organised accommodation, and if we did, I hope it wasn’t anyone that will hold a grudge!” he bit his lower lip, a sign he was really stressing.

“We’ve been over the guest list with a fine-toothed comb, we’ve checked over and over again, to make sure everyone is catered for,” I tried to reassure him, “but if you want, I can take another look, just to be sure!”

“You’re a lifesaver Ad’s, I don’t know how I would have gotten through this all without you and the team. Put me on the frontline, or desert me on some far-away moon, and I could sort it out. No worries. But this!” he sighed, “This is a whole new ball game!”

“Is there anything else I can do to help out?” I ask, “I feel so bad about not being able to help more!”

“Adam, don’t be silly!” he said, shaking his head. “You designed, printed, and put together all of our invitations. You helped put the menu together. You’ve had welcome signs, and seating charts printed, and you painstakingly put together all those guest gifts and place cards. The only thing that’s left for you to do, apart from this fitting on Saturday, is to show up.”

“And not fall flat on my face!” I say quietly.

Lex gives me a reproachful look as she hands us our coffees.

“We’ve been practising so much, and you haven’t had a fall in weeks!” she reminds me.

“I know. But I want it to be perfect!” I can feel the frustration building.

“You will be fine!” Shiro scolds me, “And I’ve told you, time and time again, if you need to use the frame, I don’t care, as long as you’re by my side! You have worked so hard, and have come so far, we are all very, very proud of you!”

I looked at him with tears in my eyes. It had been a long journey, but I still had so far to go.

*****

I can remember the day when the doctors first gave me that little spark of hope. 

I had been in the hospital for a couple of weeks by that time, and had been put through a myriad of tests. I had been poked and prodded, I’d had countless x-rays and scans, had mental and physical exams galore. I knew I wasn’t the only patient. There were hundreds of us, in a vast range of conditions, and I was by no means the worst off, but they were telling me all my problems, but not how we were going to fix them, and I was getting tired of it.

 

I was sitting in my room with Lance when two nurses came in with a wheelchair to collect me. I rolled my eyes, as they helped me down from the bed, assuming they were taking me for another test.

 

“Would you mind if Mr McClain accompanied us?” one of the nurses asked, “Sometimes we find it’s better is patients have an extra pair of ears to take the information in.”

 

I looked at him confused, “Yeah, sure, okay. Do you mind Lance?” I ask

“Not at all!” he said, jumping up from his chair by the window.

 

They wheeled me down the hall, and into a large room, where the walls were covered with x-rays and printouts. 

A team was seated around the table, all looking through notes, and having discussions using words I didn’t understand. I swallowed a hard lump in my throat as they pushed me up to the end of the table, and Lance sat down beside me.

“Good afternoon Adam!” the Doctor at the head of the table looked up and gave me a reassuring smile. She was the doctor I had dealt with the most through my time here, and she was leading the exploration into my condition. “And thank you for coming, Lance,” she added, tucking a strand of wavy strawberry blonde hair behind her ear.

“As you know, yours has been a difficult case to work through, Adam,” She began in her kind Australian accent, “there have been so many factors we have had to look into, and take into consideration, when coming up with the best plan of action in helping you on your way.”

“Obviously your mobility has been our biggest concern, but we have to make sure we look after all aspects of your health at the same time.”

“When you first came in, we ran a number of tests, and we were worried that your malnutrition may have a lasting effect on your health, and the function of your organs,” she continued.

“We spoke to you, of course, about the condition your legs are in, about the weakness of your muscles, particularly those in your stomach and legs, your bowel issues, the slight concern we had with your kidneys, and the concerns we had regarding your lung function.”

“We have been monitoring all that closely, and we are happy to say that with the care and treatment we have given you, the kidneys are going to be completely fine, the lung function tests, while not 100% have improved dramatically, and we have been successful in getting you up to the point where we can consider surgery to correct the bowel, and to realign those legs.”

“Your gastroenterologist will come to speak to you in more detail about that surgery when he gets back from visiting patients in a hospital down South, but it’s fairly straightforward, and he has done it hundreds of times.”

“Your legs, however, are what we are focusing on today,” she paused.

“The one thing we can say about the Galra is that, while I know they put you through horrible, horrible things, the fact that they had you strapped to that table allowed your bones to knit together in a way to minimise permanent damage. Your nerves are fine, you can still feel your feet, and move your toes, so we are very hopeful. My team, here,” she nodded around the room, “have had multiple discussions, and we believe we have determined the best plan of action.”

“We will need to re-break your legs in several places and attach external fixators to the bones with a series of metal pins. You will need to have these fixators for a long time, but this, paired with rehab and strengthening exercises, and we will have you back on your feet again, Adam.” Her big grin lit up her face, and I could feel the smile spreading around the table.

I sat there, dumbstruck, trying to take everything in.

“So, he’s going to walk again?” Lance laughed with happiness beside me.

“With this many re-breaks, we might have to do it over multiple surgeries. It’s going to be a long, hard, journey, but I’m fully confident that if he listens to his doctors, and does everything he is told, he’s going to do awesome. Adam has the persistence and determination that can pull him through anything!” her smile was full of kindness, and her eyes full of determination.

We spoke for a while longer about the finer details, and organised a time for the first surgery to happen, and with a murmur of congratulations and good luck, I was wheeled back to my room to let the hope sink in.

*****

 

Shiro came around the bench and wrapped his arms around me.

“Do you want me to stay home today?” he asked, “I know you’ve been having a bit of a hard time lately, the nightmares are getting worse, and you haven’t been sleeping properly.” he pulled back to look at me. “I could make cookie dough. We could watch movies together. I could pull out the gaming system?”

“It’s okay, Kashi. Thank you. You’ve got to go to work. The universe is depending on you!” I chuckle. “You’ve got time off in a few weeks, you can’t be taking a day off, now, just for me. I've got Lex here. I’m seeing Lance, and Rom, and the triplets later today. I’ll be okay.”

He gave me an appraising look, not quite sure whether to believe me.

“I’ll be okay. I promise. Now go finish getting ready for work!”

He looks up at the clock on the wall, “If you’re sure?” I nod, “Okay, you’re right, I need to get a move on!”

He quickly rushes into his bedroom to finish getting ready, as Lex makes him a fresh coffee in his travel mug. 

It had a cute little black kitten on it. Keith had gotten it for him for Christmas last year. He had thought it was hilarious. Shiro huffed about it at the time, but he really did love it. 

Shiro rushed out, grabbed his coffee, and quickly kissed me and Lex on the cheek on the way past.

“I’ll pick you up from Romelle’s later on my way home!” he said, rushing towards the door.

“Have a good day!” I called after him.

“You too Ad’s! Bye Lex!” we heard, as the door shut behind him.


	5. Day 1 - Shiro

I paused just outside the door, fighting with myself because I wanted to go back in. Sunday’s were a slow day at the Garrison, and I really only needed to clock a few hours, and those calls could wait until tomorrow. It wouldn’t have been disastrous if I hadn’t gone in, but Adam had been adamant that he was going to be okay. I shook my doubts off, put my leather jacket and helmet on, and got on my bike. 

 

Curtis and I usually travelled in together, but Iverson had called him in early today, so he took the car, and I got to ride the sleek black beast that purred below me. She was nowhere near as fast, or as responsive as Black, but as she turned the corner with the slightest lean of my body, I was content in the fact that this was the closest thing I was going to get to flying while remaining firmly on the ground.

I loved the feel of the salty ocean wind blowing past me as I took the coastal route, and my mind remained worry-free as I turned off the highway, and drove along the straight desert road towards the Garrison.

I greeted the staff at the gate with a friendly smile and parked the bike in the spot reserved just for me.

 

~

 

I stopped by Curtis’ office on the way to mine, and found it empty. As I stepped back out into the hallway, I almost ran straight into Iverson.

“Good Morning Sir!” I said, snapping to attention.

“Afternoon, Shirogane,” he corrected. “And you know there’s no need to be so formal with me, you aren’t a young officer anymore,”

“Right, sorry Sir.” I eased up, “I was wondering, have you seen Curtis?” I asked.

“Oh,” he replied, and coughed, “He had to run some paperwork to the biology department on the other side of the facility,” he said, “he should be back shortly.”

“Thank you, Sir,” I nodded, “I’ll see him later. I had better get started on those calls,”

Iverson gave a gruff laugh and stepped out of my way.

I made my way to my office and sat at my desk. I started up my computer, and shuffled the papers on my desk, making sure they were in order before I dialled up my first video call.

~

It had been 2 hours, and one very long phone call later when Curtis knocked on my door, just as I was hanging up.

“I come bearing food,” he smiles, as he sits in front of me with two salad wraps.

“You’re a gem,” I smile at him, and then let out a long sigh. “That was only one of the calls I needed to make today, I was hoping to postpone some of them until tomorrow, but I can't. I don’t know when I’m going to get out of here. Would you be okay picking Adam up from Romelle’s?”

“Of course,” he shrugged, “any excuse to see the little terrors,” he paused, backtracking. “Not that Adam's an excuse. You know what I mean!”

I laughed, “you're cute when you're flustered.”

Curtis picks up a piece of lettuce he’s dropped on the table and throws it at me.  
I chuckle, but then I sigh.

“What’s eating you up, Taki?” Curtis asks.

“I’ve been worried about Adam lately. I seem to be catching him drifting off more often, and the night terrors have got worse again.”

“Hmmm,” Curtis agreed, “But I don’t know what else we can do for him. He’s got Lex, he’s got his doctors, he’s got us and Lance, and everyone that loves him.”

I nodded in agreement, “Maybe we should have a word to his doctors, but I’m sure Lex has been doing that.”

“I think we just need to surround him with love, and support.” Curtis suggests, “Not that we don’t already, but it can’t hurt to remind him.”

“He’s still so distant from us,” I sigh, “I don’t know if it’s because of our history, or because he’s worried things are going to change after the wedding. It’s been so long. He's the same old Adam that I know so long ago, it's like nothing has happened, but I know he's hurting. I wish he'd open up.”

“Maybe you need to be vulnerable to him too, Taki. He knows we've got each other, Keith and Lance and Pidge have each other, maybe he feels he can't talk to you, or them. But maybe if you open up to him, it will help him.”

“Hmmm,” I murmur in contemplation, “you're probably right,” I agree, “and maybe I can ring Ronnie and Acxa, see if I can convince them to come a couple of days earlier, I know he can't wait to see them, and maybe they can talk to him, help him. Ronnie has been his best friend for a long time, he might open up to her.”

“That sounds like a good idea, Taki,” he smiled, “it would be good for both of you, I think. I hate to see you so stressed.”

“It’s just a lot of things,” I sigh.

“You know, if you want to change your mind about everything, I would whisk you away with no hesitation,” Curtis assured me, “I never wanted all this big fuss.”

“No, I know I’m stressing, but it is exactly how I want it.” I say, getting up and walking around the desk to take his hands in mine, “I couldn’t imagine our big day without our family and friends.” I leant against the desk in front of him, “And almost everything is in place now. We’ve just got to wait for everyone to arrive. Adam has done so, so much. Hunk’s got the food under control, Lance has got the music, Lex is organising the flowers. We’ve just got the final suit and dress fittings to do, and we’ve got a whole team of decorators to help us out beforehand, so we really just need to show up on the day.” I smiled, “Once I see you at that Alter, everything else will just melt away, and it will all be worth it.”

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“I’m sure I'm sure,” I laughed, and took his face in my hands and kissed him.

“Okay,” he hummed against my mouth.

“I regretfully need to get back to work,” I say placing my forehead against his, “Are you sure you’re good to get Adam?”

“I’m sure I'm sure,” he laughed back at me, “Any requests for dinner while I’m at it?” he asks, standing up.

“Actually,” I reply, “seeing as everyone is so stressed, why don't we ask Lex to stay, and invite Keith, Lance and Pidge over? We can get pizza or something, have some wine?”

“Sounds perfect Taki,” he says, giving me one quick kiss before walking to the door, “I better let you get back to it. I’ll let everyone know about tonight, and I’ll see you later. Love you!”

“Love you too!” I called, but he was already out of sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's a short one guys! And it's kind of just filler, but it's setting a few things up for future chapters. I also argued with Shiro a lot during this chapter, and almost killed him off, just for funsies XD Enjoy! Lex


	6. Day 1 - Adam

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/n: Trigger warnings (of course Lex, it's an Adam chapter... I promise you, things ARE turning around for Adam, I PROMISE!) this is explaining a bit about what Adam went through before he was found, and a little bit after, so there's a little bit of pain, a little bit of torture... an average day for Adam...

We moved to the living room. I took my origami out of the box hidden underneath my chair, but I couldn’t focus. Everything had been getting to me more and more lately. I tried not to let it get to me, busied my days with rehab, and swimming, countless activities, and the people around me, but my conscience couldn’t escape when I was asleep.

*****

I had been in a pretty bad crash during the war. My ship had been in such a mangled wreck when they found it, they had assumed that the reason that they couldn’t find a body was that there was nothing of it left. 

Unfortunately, I wish I had died. I lay there, in incredible pain, thinking of the people I was leaving behind, of the war still to be fought, of Keith, and finally Shiro. He swam before me as I took what I thought to be my last breath.

The next thing I knew was pain. Endless burning pain. My eyes fluttered open, and I saw white blinding lights above me. A jolt of electricity shot through me, and I screamed.  
I realised I was strapped to a cold, hard, table. The Galra standing over me asked me question upon question, but I couldn’t concentrate enough to understand what he was saying. He didn’t give me the opportunity to collect my thoughts and answer before he shot an electric shockwave through me again, and again.   
This went on for hours, days, weeks. I had no understanding of time in that place, but they must have eventually got bored with me, and I thought my end had finally come.

That was when I was taken, and shoved in a small hole in the wall. I sat there on the cold, hard ground, unable to stand, even if my legs would allow it.   
They occasionally brought me food and would take me out for other torture sessions, trying to get information from me, but I had none. The last few weeks before my crash had disappeared from my mind. I recognised the Galra, and could form vague ideas about the situation, but no critical information was coming to me, so it became an endless cycle of torture, and that dark, cramped hole.

The pain in my legs started to lessen, and I knew the bones were beginning to knit together again, all at odd angles. I would wake up screaming in the middle of the night, in agony as my legs tensed and cramped in their twisted forms.

Eventually, I heard loud explosions in the air outside, and the guards stopped coming. I hadn’t realised there were other prisoners until they started crying out for help. Their once strong voices getting weaker and weaker as the days went by.

I had given up again and was praying for it all to end when there came a commotion from above, and the beams of flashlights began bouncing off the walls. There came noises of excitement from the cells further up the hall, but I was out of hope.

The door swung open, and standing before me was the tallest man I think I had ever seen in my life.

“Well, look at you!” he said, taking in my current state, “let’s get you out of here then!” I stared at him blankly as he bent down and picked me up, cradling me in his arms as he walked me up the hall, and towards the surface. I buried my face in the crook of his neck, the light from the sun blinding me.

I must have passed out at some point, because the next thing I know, I was waking up in a hospital bed. Needles stuck into me, and cords attached to my body. I panicked momentarily, the white, harsh lights taking me back to the cold hard tables I was used to, but then someone took my hand. My head was just a constant buzz. My head hurt, my legs hurt, my stomach was nauseous. I gave them a blank look, and closed my eyes again. Takashi was dead, Keith was probably dead too, the world had practically ended. All my friends were gone, and I was in pain. So much pain. Why couldn’t they just let me die?

People came in and out of my room, talking to me, shining lights in my eyes. All I could bring myself to do was sleep, and stare blankly ahead. I would move my head towards sounds, but I could never focus on the individuals in front of me, or what they were saying.

I was blank and numb. I couldn’t feel anything, inside or out. I was vaguely aware when they touched me, but I could do nothing about it. Even the knowledge of needles going into my arms, or blood being drawn, did nothing to change my state.

Until one day I became aware of noise outside of my room. This noise was different from any I had heard in a long time. It pulled on a string in my head, trying to get my attention, trying to get me to take notice.

The door opened, and I was aware that a group of people came in. One of them spoke to me, and I sat up, and turned towards them, like a robot. This is what I was supposed to do, right?

As my eyes adjusted to the room, I saw three figures standing by the door. The tugging in my head began again, pulling until I was looking at the boy closest to me. I blinked, and he slowly became clearer. There was a name, a familiar name, right there in my mouth, I could taste it. I just needed to make my brain cooperate with my tongue.

 

“Keith!” I finally whispered, and the figure on the bed gasped.  
The boy ran to me and threw his arms around me. I was home.

*****

I stared blankly out the window. My breathing getting faster, and my mind a million miles away.

I could feel Lex’s eyes on me now, as she glanced up from her book. She could tell something was going on behind my wall, but she knew me well enough that I was currently unable to talk about it.

 

She gently tapped her fingers on her book, bringing me back and grounding me. I focused on the noise until I was subconsciously tapping the arm of my couch. My breathing calmed, and I became focused on the noise, the movement, and the touch of the material on my fingertips.

As I calmed, she calmed, and with one final look, she returned to her book. I knew this wasn’t the end of it though. I knew this was just a reprieve, and there would be a discussion later. Lex was amazing at knowing that I needed time, and being able to gauge when I was ready to talk. She did push me, a lot, but she also knew there was no point in talking to me when I was like this, and I loved her for that.

~

A clearing of a throat made me aware that someone had come into the room. I turned around to see the Cuban ray of sunshine that had become so important in my life. A smile broke across my face. It was hard to not be happy when Lance was around.


	7. Day 1 - Curtis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Curtis has a heart-to-heart with Lex, and prepares for a family dinner.

I hit send on my last email for the day, triple checked my to-do list and shut down the computer. I collected the files in my tray and turned to sort them into the cabinet behind me. I made sure everything was in line, before I picked up my bag, making sure the package was tucked in there securely, and headed out of the room.

I walked down the hall towards Shiros’ office, saying goodbye to the people I saw along the way.

I put my head around his door before walking in. ‘I’m going to be forever!” he mouthed, rolling his eyes, “Love you, see you at home!’”

I laughed, and tiptoed across the room, kissing him on the cheek before writing him a quick note.

You still good for dinner?

He nodded to me as his eyebrows furrowed, “Yes, I understand that, Baujal, but trust me, Slav is the most experienced in this area. I know he has his,” he paused to give me an amused look, “eccentricities, but if we want to get this done, we are just going to have to do the best we can to accommodate him.”

“I’ll leave you to it,” I whispered, kissed him on the cheek one more time for good measure, then, chuckling, I walked quietly from the room, and made my way towards the parking lot.

I slid into the driver seat, quietly thankful that Shiro had to work late, and I didn’t have to drive his beast home. While I would never stop him driving it into work, and I was perfectly capable, I hated having to drive his motorcycle. It was so large and powerful, and I liked the security of four wheels, and the body of the SUV protecting me.

I sat with the car running for a few minutes, waiting for the aircon to kick in before I pulled out into the hot June sun and turned on to the long, straight, desert road that would take me to the highway. 

Keith would just laugh and tell me this was nothing, summer had only started, but I hated this dry heat. Home wasn’t too bad, because we could open the large glass doors, and let the sea breeze sweep through the house, but out here and at the Garrison the heat was dry. I was used to a more humid heat, where you wouldn't dry out after 2 minutes of standing in the sun. After all these years, I had learned to deal with it, but it was not my preferred state. Thank goodness for AC was all I could say.

I turned up the volume and sung along loudly to Wolfmother as I made the half hour trip between Poway and Del Mar.

I stopped by the market on the way home, and grabbed what I needed for dinner, and made sure to get some more wine. If Adam, Pidge and Lex were going to be drinking together, we were going to need a lot of it.

I put all the groceries in the back of the car, and climbed back in, heading back home before I had to go pick Adam up.

***

I walked through the door into the kitchen to find Lex sitting at the counter with her work spread out in front of her. She used the time when Adam was with Lance to do further research and study on PTSD and different therapy methods to help veterans, not only to help Adam, but also Shiro and the rest of our family, and in the hope to further her study once it was time for her to move on.

 

“Oh, hey Curtis,” she said looking up from her work, “I’ll be out of your way soon.”

“That’s okay, hun, take as long as you like,” I replied, putting the meat and wine in the fridge.

 

“Actually,” I added, “if you weren’t doing anything tonight, Shiro and I were wondering if you wanted to stay for dinner? We’re going to ask Keith, Lance and Pidge too. And you’re welcome to stay in the spare room.”

“Oh!” she said, a look of surprise on her face, “Yeah, that actually would be cool! Is there an occasion?”

“We just noticed everyone has been pretty stressed lately, it might be nice to have an evening to just catch our breaths, you know?”

“Oh yeah, I definitely get that,” she sighed.

“Everything okay?”

“Scott’s being a dick, as per usual. When I actually see him, its constant arguments. He’s always on his phone when we’re together,” she picked up her phone and slammed it down again, “but he never messages me anymore. I know I work a lot, but he’s always out with his friends anyway, and yells at me when I'm not at his beck and call. I think we’re finally over. I’m ready to move on.”

“I’m glad you’ve realised that,” I replied, “He was never good for you.” I hated the guy, we all did. There had been so many times that I, Adam, Shiro or even Pidge had comforted her while she ranted about Scott. He never gave her the attention she deserved, and the attention he did give her was all negative. He was always putting her down, and insulting her, then trying to make it right by buying her gifts and showering her with ‘I love you baby,’s, then turning right back around with an ‘I’m the only one that will ever love you.’

“Do you actually mind if I stay a couple of days?” she asked, hanging her head. “I promise I’ll be out before everyone comes to town! I just think I need to give this some time to settle.”

“Stay as long as you like, sweetheart. We haven’t got anyone staying here, we thought that would be best for Adam, so the spare room is yours for as long as you need it!” I walked around the bench and lay my arm across her shoulder. “Do you want to cancel tonight and have a quiet one instead? I haven’t mentioned it to the others yet.”

“That’s okay, thanks Curtis, I think a night to unwind is exactly what I need,” she said, getting up and starting to pack away her papers, “I might head home now and grab a few things. I’ll be back soon, and then can we please, please, get stuck into that wine?”

“Sounds like a perfect idea. I’m coming with you!”

“It’s okay, he’s out of town, but thank you, Curtis. You need to pick Adam up anyway. He needs his meds soon.” She picked up her bag and made her way to the door. “See you shortly.”

“I’m keeping my phone on me, so if he’s there and starts to cause a fuss, or you get into any trouble, you ring me right away!” I called after her, then I heard the door shut, without an answer. I sighed as I sat down on one of the stools.

We had offered her our spare room so many times and offered to go over there to help her get her stuff, but she just kept telling us that she loved him and that he loved her, and would never hurt her. ‘He gets angry, but he’s never hit me!’ I had heard her say so many times, but we were in constant fear that the next time he got angry, he wouldn’t be able to stop himself. And if she was threatening to leave him, or tried to leave without saying something and he caught her, I’d hate to think what he’d do.

I got my phone out of my bag and turned the volume up full ball before sliding it into my pocket. I grabbed the package I got from Gupil this morning, and my wallet and keys, and got back into the car to drive to Romelle’s.

***

I walked around the side of the house and peered through the backdoor to find Romelle and Lance with a folder and papers spread out all over the counter. Lance gave me a ‘help me!’ look, as he opened the door, and Romelle greeted me with a bright smile.

“What are you up to there?” I asked, stepping closer.

“We’re planning the triplets birthday!” she beamed.

“Oh wow!” I said, looking over the mess of papers, and picking up one that was an advertisement for a group that performed aerial silks. “Look, Loverboy Lance!” I laughed, “It’s you!” I had heard the story countless times. Pidge and the others would never let Lance live that one down.

“Gimme that!” he said, snatching it, and throwing it straight in the bin.

“Hey! That was one of Coran’s favourites!” Romelle complained.

“Well, nobody can do it as good as me, so I’m saving everyone the disappointment!” 

Romelle and I laughed, while Lance blushed a bright red.

“Where are the others?” I asked, looking into the lounge room.

“Keith took Adam over to our house a little while ago,” Lance said and started walking towards the door. "They’re up to something! I’ll walk you over!"

“Hang back, Lance, I need to talk to you first.”

“Okay?” he replied, raising one eyebrow.

“I was hoping you could help me. I‘ve got Shiro a wedding present, and I need somewhere to hide it for the time being. I can’t trust Adam.”

“Oh! Can we see!” asked Romelle. 

“I want him to see it first,” I replied, and she pouted, “And it’s all wrapped up nicely anyway.”

“No can do, sorry Curtis,” Lance said, “You know Keith tells Shiro everything, and I don’t know if I can keep it from him.”

“That’s okay, Lance.” I replied, trying not to get too disappointed, “I hadn’t thought of that. I’ll think of something else.”

“You could always keep it here?” Romelle piped up, “I promise I won’t peak, and I’ll keep it away from the kids, and Coran, or anyone else who might not be able to keep their hands to themselves?”

“Okay, thanks Rom,” I replied, handing her the package.

Just then there was a loud cry from upstairs and both Romelle and Lance glanced towards the ceiling.

“Do you mind checking on them, Lance, while I clean this up? I’ll be up in a minute to give you a hand.”

“No problem Rom!” Lance replied. He was halfway to the stairs before she had even finished talking. He really loved those kids.

“Okay,” she whispered, as she turned to me, “Go, go, go! Under no circumstances can Lance go over there right now! Keith’s showing Adam the birthday present he’s been making him.”

“Oh!” I replied, walking towards the door, “say no more! I’ll be back soon.”

I walked through the big glass door, and across the yard. I swung the gate open and made my way up to Keith and Lances back porch. 

“Adam? Keith? Are you here?” I called as I slid the door open. Of course it wasn’t locked. Shiro and I had warned them so many times, if not for their safety, then for Pidge’s. She often got lost in whatever she was doing, and wouldn’t hear a stampede of elephants if she was immersed, anyone could sneak up on her.

“In Keith’s studio, Sunshine!” Adam called back.

“Okay, coming!” I said, pulling the door shut behind me, and made my way to find them.


	8. Day 1 - Lex

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lex has a lot to deal with, but she's family, so the boys have got her back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's this everyone? Two posts in one night? This was a chapter I wasn't going to write, but I can't keep my characters in line!  
> C/W for suggested violence.  
> See the end for more notes.

I pulled up to the curb outside the flat and steeled myself to go inside. All the emotions that I had been hiding were slowly creeping up on me. 

I took a deep breath and counted to ten. I knew he wasn’t in there, but the little voice in the back of my mind was telling me otherwise. What if he had come back, what if he was in there, waiting for me to return.

I got out of the car and noticed that the next door neighbour was sitting in his usual spot on the front porch. If anyone knew whether he had come back, it would be him.

“Hi, Tyler!” I called out.

“Hey Lex, having a good day?” he asked.

“Fairly good,” I replied casually, “I’m having dinner with some friends tonight, do you have any plans?”

“Yeah, the dudes are coming around later for some drinks!” he laughed “Maybe watch some movies, Alan’s got this movie he’s been wanting to show us, some dudes versus evil or something.”

“Sounds great!” I replied, “You’ll have to tell me if it’s any good!” he tipped his trucker hat at me. “Hey, do you know if Scott’s in at all?” I asked, “He doesn’t have his phone, so I haven't been able to get on to him.”

“No, haven’t seen him since last night, and no body’s been in since you left this morning.”

“Oh, okay, thanks, I might try his friends, see if they know where he is,” I said walking up the stairs and letting myself in.

I tried to avoid looking into the living area as I made my way to the bedroom. I grabbed my suitcases out of the wardrobe and started piling all my clothes and belongings into them. 

I hadn’t intended on taking everything with me, but I knew whatever I didn’t take with me today, I may never see again. I knew I should have told Curtis what was really going on, and brought him with me. I knew he wouldn’t judge me and would do anything he could to help me out of this. But I wasn’t ready to talk.

I don’t know what I would have done, or where I would have gone if Curtis hadn’t brought up me staying there tonight. He was my saving grace, without realising it. There was no way I could have stayed there another night. I shivered at the thought. 

My suitcases were full, so I zipped them up, and put them by the front door. I went back into the bedroom and took his suitcases down. I didn’t care if they weren’t mine. I needed out, and if he was so desperate for them back, I’d get one of the boys to drop them off.

I was glad I hadn’t been in the States long and had not brought much with me from Australia. I finished in the bedroom, and continued on to the bathroom, sweeping all my belongings into one of the garbage bags we kept under the sink. I grabbed my towels and linen from the closet and added them to the suitcases too.

It was only a small flat, and I only had the kitchen and living room to go.

I stood in the hallway, just outside the doorway, willing myself to go in. 

I took a big step, and I was in. I choked back a sob as I looked at the shards of blue and green glass that covered the floor, remnants of my favourite vases that he had thrown in a rage last night. 

I looked around at my books and trinkets that lay around the room. There was no way I was ever going to fit this in my car, and there was no room at the boys anyway. What was I going to do?

I walked back to the front door and stuck my head out.

“Hey, Tyler?” I called. He never threw anything out, I’m sure he could help me.

“Yeah, what's up?”

“Have you got any boxes? And can I store some stuff at your house for a couple of days?” I asked.

“Sure,” he replied, a questioning look on his face, “Should I bring them over now?”

“That would be great!” I said, “Thank you!” he nodded, and I made my way back inside, locking the door behind me. Not that that would stop Scott if he came back, but it would at least delay him a little.

I pulled my towels and linen back out of the suitcase and started wrapping some of my more breakable items, before laying them on the couch, ready to go in the boxes.

***

“Careful where you walk!” I said as I opened the door for Tyler and we walked into the living room.

“Whoa! What happened here?” he asked, taking in the scene before him, “Are you okay, Lex?”

“It’s over now. I’m out. It doesn’t matter.”

“It sure as hell does matter!” he replied. “I should have known something was going on, I could have stopped this!”

“No, you couldn’t,” I confessed. “I wouldn’t have let you. I wouldn’t have listened,” I paused, “I haven’t listened.”

“Okay then,” he said, hesitantly, putting the boxes down on the floor, “The most important thing is we’re getting you out now. Where should I start?”

I directed him to the bookshelf under the window seat. “They’re all mine if you could start with those?”

He took the cushion off the window seat and used it to kneel in front of the bookshelf, placing the books in the boxes, as I headed to the kitchen, and took my special mugs, glasses, and vases. The rest could be easily replaced.

I returned to the living room and began putting my trinkets in the boxes, and Tyler began taking the boxes back to his house.

It wasn’t long before we were done, and my belongings were in my car or piled up in the corner of Tyler’s bedroom.

I looked longingly at my armchair. The winged back piece that I had painstakingly refurbished in colourful patchwork squares. It sat in the corner and was the perfect place to curl up with a book. I sighed and turned to walk out of the room. There was no room in my car, and I didn’t want to take up more room at Tyler's.

We stood out in front of my car. “I’ll leave my keys with you,” I told him, “Can you give them to Scott whenever he comes back?”

“Sure,” he answered, “Are you going to leave a forwarding address? Should I collect your mail for you? You know I’ll catch it before he gets home.”

“That would be great,” I told him, “At least for the first few days until I can get it redirected.”

I took my notebook out of my bag, and wrote the boys address down on a piece of paper, and tore it out. I handed it, and the keys to him, and gave him a hug.

“Thank you so much, Tyler. For everything. I’ll try to get back for the rest of my stuff as soon as I can.”

“Take your time,” he reassured me, “It’s only a couple of boxes, and they aren’t taking up much space. You make sure you’re safe first, and then give me a call, and I'll bring them around. Don't want you coming back here if he might be around.”

 

I walked around the car and opened the driver side door. “I’ll talk to you soon,” I said, tears finally coming to my eyes, “Thank you again.”

I got in the car and started the engine. I managed to make it around the corner before I had to pull over and let the waves of tears I had been holding back for the last 16 hours finally fall.

***

I pulled up to the curb outside Shiro and Curtis’s house and just sat in my car, numbly staring out into the distance.

I don’t know how long I sat there, but I was suddenly startled by a knock on the window, and Curtis opening the passenger door.

“Let’s get you inside then,” he said, and he started grabbing suitcases. He made no comment about how much I had brought with me and didn’t question how long I intended to stay. He simply helped me inside, sat me down on the spare bed, and made the trips backwards and forwards from the car all by himself.

When he was done, he sat on the bed beside me.

“That bad, huh?” he asked, gently. “I wish you had told me, I should have come with you.”

“My neighbour Tyler helped in the end, but I needed to do it myself,” I replied, “I needed to go into the house by myself. Prove that I could leave by myself.”

“Oh Lex,” he sighed, and wrapped me in his arms. “I’m going to go call the others, tell them we’ll take a raincheck.”

“Please don't,” I asked, “I need to take my mind off everything, and this is exactly what I need.”

“If you’re sure?” he asked, pulling away, and I nodded. “Okay, I’m going to give Shiro a call anyway, he should be on his way home, then I’ll wake Adam, and start dinner. Come out when you’re ready.” He patted my knee before he stood up, and walked out the door. 

I listened as his footsteps made their way down the hall, and into his and Shiro’s room.

I sighed, and opened my suitcases, I pulled out my favourite outfit, a royal blue dress, a mustard cardigan, and black stockings, grabbed a clean towel from another suitcase, rummaged around until I found my toiletries, and made my way into the ensuite.

I hit play on my favourite playlist as I undressed and let the water heat up until it was almost scalding. I slid under the water, and let it run over me, trying to let it wash this all away. I knew it wouldn’t work, I knew there would be no easy fix, but still, the heat and the pressure of the water, and the fact that I had finally got myself out of that situation made me feel a little better, if only for the time being. 

I dried off and got dressed, piling my hair into a bun on the top of my head, and slipped on my shoes, before walking out to the kitchen to find Curtis. 

Adam was there too, sat at the counter, cutting vegetables while Curtis cooked something on the stovetop.

“Stuffed peppers for you and Pidge?” he asked me, going towards the fridge.

“Thanks, Curt,” I replied, “Can I help?”

“Nope,” he said, placing 3 glasses and a bottle of wine in front of me, “Your only job right now is to open this bottle of wine, and keep our glasses topped up! I’m going to quickly put the rest of these glasses in the lounge room for later.”

“Can you do me a favour, hun?” Adam asked quietly from beside me, as Curtis walked out of the room. “You know how I’ve been lately, and you know what these meds do to me. We both know I shouldn’t be drinking, so can you just make it look like I am?”

“You shouldn’t feel pressured to look like you’re drinking, Ad’s. Nobody here will care.”

He stayed silent for a minute, chopping away at the carrots. “I know. But I don’t want them to know how bad it is. Obviously, I can’t hide the night terrors, but I think I’m doing a pretty good job at handling everything else.” 

He paused to look at me, “I normally just drink, and deal with the repercussions later, but where I am right now, I don’t think I could handle it.”

“You don’t need to, Ad’s. We’ve spoken about this before. It’s not good for you. I know I can’t say anything to Shiro and Curtis, because you’ve asked me not to, and you are my patient, but I really wish you would. They aren’t blind. They can see something’s going on. They deserve to know.”

“Just until after the wedding, please Lex?”Just then Curtis walked back in. “Why are the glasses still empty?” he asked, pulling the rice off the stove top.

Adam fixed me with a pleading look. I sighed and gave him a small nod as I pulled the glasses closer.

Curtis asked Adam about the triplets, and Curtis happily obliged, telling him about his day while they both continued cutting vegetables.

I placed my glass down close to Adam’s, and made sure to keep drinking from both. It had been my intention to let loose tonight, although I didn’t exactly approve of this reasoning.

Once they were done, Curtis fried the onion, celery, carrots and mushrooms in the frypan before mixing it with the rice, and put the mixture in the fridge for later. Adam and I got up to make our way to the lounge room. As I stood, I could feel that I was already light headed. This night was going to be interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If this brought up anything for anyone, or if you have anything else you want to talk about, story related, or if you just need someone to chat to, you can always find me at letmebelex on tumblr, my inbox is always open (although if we're in different timezones I might not answer straight away). I post little snippets and teasers there too.
> 
> I'm TRYING to make a posting schedule, it will most likely be Saturdays (hopefully including this week) to try to keep my motivation up, so if I haven't posted by next Saturday, come kick my butt!
> 
> Thank you to my Klance group @crazyrandomhappenklance @bangbangbeefkeef, @RADifer, @Anime_fangirl and @devoosha you give me the encouragement to keep going. All their work is AMAZING, go check it out!
> 
> And a big, big thank you to my friend and superstar beta @crazyrandomhappenklance. You always know where I'm coming from, and your feedback is invaluable! I would go insane without our daily chats!


	9. Day 1 - Shiro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro and Curtis reflect on the day and the night that was, and things that are coming up

Chapter 9 - Shiro

I had helped Adam to bed, and checked on a drunk Lex before heading to the kitchen. Curtis scraped the plates and loaded them into the dishwasher, while I made us chamomile tea.

We put more comfortable clothes on, then finally settled down on the couch, tea in hand, winding down after a long day before we put ourselves to bed. 

Curtis cuddled up to my left side, head against my shoulder, legs across my lap, as I rubbed small circles on his lower back. 

There was movement in the hallway, then Lacey, our beautiful lilac point birman kitten came through the doorway. She rubbed herself against the door jamb, before sauntering over to join us, trilling a hello as she jumped up into Curtis’ lap.

“Oh hello, baby,” I cooed as she climbed up my chest to nuzzle my chin, “You finally decided to come out of hiding?”

“Who’s a pretty kitty?” Curtis asked, scratching behind her ear, “Did you eat your dinner?”

She meowed back at him, pushing into his hand, then snuggling into the space between us.

We both petted her absentmindedly, content in our silence. 

“What a day!” Curtis sighed, stretching out, curving his back over the arm of the couch before sitting back up again. Lacey stood up, annoyed at being unsettled, turned around, and sat back down again. “Although dinner was good in the end.”

“Mmm,” I hummed. “The conversation was less than ideal though.”

Curtis chuckled. “You’ve known Pidge for at least 5 years, and she’s never been subtle. She’s an adult now, you’re just going to have to learn to deal with it.”

“Doesn’t mean I have to be happy about it,” I huffed.

“No wonder they call you dad.”

“Don’t you start!”

“You need to ease up, Taki, I know you feel responsible for them, but you’re not actually that much older than them. You’re their friend, you don’t need to come to their rescue all the time.” He said, sitting up and cupping my face in his hand. “Speaking of, what was Keith’s deal?”

“Oh, just this party he’s putting together.” I replied, “He is stressing. Wants to make it perfect for Lance. He’s so soft for that boy.”

“If you say so,” he said, as he put his head back down, “But I bet there was something more.”

“Nope, just the party.” I answered. 

“Not taking me up on my bet then? Interesting.”

“There’s no bet to be made, Cat.” I said, shaking my head, “Oh, and I told Keith he could come over tuesday night while Lance is at work, and we would help him with the planning?”

“Yeah, that’s fine, don’t get to involved though, we’ve got our own stuff to finish organising.”

“I know, I was more thinking it was something else to keep Adam busy, you know how much he loves Lance.” Curtis nodded, “Did I tell you I rang Ronnie?”

“You said you were going to,” he replied, “What did she say?”

“They’re going to try and get here as soon as possible. Her, Axca, and Noah.”

“Ooooh, Noah! I can’t wait to meet him!”

“Me either.” I admitted, “ I know Lance is itching to give him the once over. He doesn’t like the idea of Ronnie dating someone he hasn’t met.”

“Yeah, and I hope Rosa and Dante have got their head around the whole concept of Ronnie being polyamous. I know it threw them for a while.”

“Well, they’ve agreed to let them stay there?”

“Yeah, I guess that’s a good sign. And that whole family is queer, I don’t know why they keep getting surprised.”

“Even Luis?” I asked.

“Definitely Luis,” he affirmed, “I’ve never been wrong!”

“I guess,” I shrugged, “But I guess this is just a whole new level. It’s not an easy concept for some, especially when you marry your highschool sweetheart, and they’ve been the only person you’ve loved for close to 30 years.”

“True,” Curtis agreed. “I’m just glad they’re coming early. Adam needs the distraction. He hasn’t been himself.” He paused, weighing up his words, “Did you notice he wasn’t drinking tonight?”

“Yeah,” I replied, “I also noticed Lex was drinking his share.” I took my hand of his back, and started running it through his hair. “I’m surprised she even made it to bed. When I checked on her she was fast asleep. Shoes off, clothes on, flat on the bed like a starfish. I made sure to turn her on her side. She’s gonna regret drinking that much in the morning.”

“Can you blame her though? If it was me, I’m sure I would be trying to forget too.”

“Did she tell you much more about what happened?” I asked, squeezing him a little tighter.

“No, she was too much of a mess, Taki. I didn’t want to push her.”

“Yeah,” I replied, “That’s understandable. We’ll have to give her her space, hopefully she’ll open up soon.”

“I’m sure she will when she’s ready.”

“Yeah,” I agreed, “So. We officially have a new house member then?”

“I hope you didn’t mind?” he asked, looking up at me, “It all happened so fast.”

“Cat,” I replied, “You know I would never turn Lex, or anyone in that situation, away. I would give her my own bed, and the clothes off my back before I let her go back there. And I love that you took her in without a second thought.”

“My lord, I love you Takashi,” he said as he got up from his position beside me, sending Lacey running. He straddled my lap, taking my face in his hands. He paused for a second, looking deep into my eyes, “I was thinking, maybe, when things calm down, maybe we could take in a more permanent housemember?”

“What are you saying, Cat?” I asked, trying not to read too much into what he was saying.

“I want a baby Taki,” he replied. Straight to the point, as always.

I kissed him softly, and then with more… more everything.

“Are you crying, Taki?” he asked softly.

I wiped my cheek, and looked down it my hand, puzzled.

“You’re just so beautiful,” I replied. “You know this is going to take a lot of work, right? Before we even get a baby?”

“Is that a yes?” he asked, unsure, apparently still confused by my tears.

“Curtis Harrison-soon-to-be-Shirogane, that is definitely a yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I HOPE YOU ALL MELTED!!! 
> 
> Okay, that’s a wrap for day 1, but definitely not this series! Books 1, 2, and 3 will be continued in books 4, 5, and 6 respectfully, just to make things easier to read and run more smoothly (still not sure if it’s going to be a day per book, or maybe a week, I’ll figure it out).
> 
> Thanks again to the usual suspects! 
> 
> Intro’s and flashbacks are pretty much done, so things are going to start progressing quicker now, and I’ve got so much planned! Can’t wait for y’all to read it!  
> I'm trying to get on a posting schedule, hopefully every Saturday, but if I fall behind, feel free to come kick my butt on Tumblr, or just come have a chat! I like to leave little snippets and teasers over there too, as well as little sketches and character bios.


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